Written by: Erica Ellis – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner; Photos provided by: Kimberly Evans – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner, Terrie Meredith – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner; Glenn & Shelley Frost – Magical Tripcations Travel Planners; Jo Anne Smoot – Magical Tripcations Owner
Getting the Most Out of Your Stay – Consider an After Hours Event!
So, you’re going on a Disney Parks Vacation? Congratulations! As you shift your sights to your itinerary, now is a great time to consider purchasing tickets to an After Hours event at the parks. What is an “After Hours” event? Well, I’m glad you asked, because I’m here to break it down for you.
An After Hours event is just that….an event that happens after regular park hours. Some take place in the early morning, others take place at night. All of them are a ton of fun & come with their own perks & exclusive sights, sounds & tastes! Make sure that you chat with your Magical Tripcations Travel Planner to get the scoop on which party or parties might be happening during your stay. They can get you pricing & availability. The Walt Disney Travel Company is always coming up with new, fun, & innovative party ideas so the options change regularly. Make sure you chat with your travel planner to figure out if there are any options during your stay.
These events can often times be themed for a holiday season, like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park, Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party at Disney California Adventure Park, or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Park. These particular parties are held during their respective holiday seasons and guests are given the opportunity to dine on special snacks, meet unique or hard to find characters, & watch special parades and fireworks that only happen during party hours.
**Pro Tip – For the holiday parties at Walt Disney World guests who hold a ticket for that evening’s party are usually granted access to the party as early as 4:00pm. The party officially begins at 7:00pm and ends at 12:00am.
Other parties will give guests special access to certain attractions in a specific park. For example, Animal Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort hosts a nighttime after hours event throughout the year called Disney After Hours at Animal Kingdom Theme Park. This event gives guests special & unlimited access to certain attractions like Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, & Na’vi River Journey. This event also gives guest unlimited bottled water/soda, popcorn, & ice cream treats!
Other events, like the early morning events will gives guests access to very popular areas of the parks like Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom or Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Some of the events event include breakfast that is included with your ticket for admission.
Personally, I’ve attended a handful of After Hours events. The one that sticks out as my favorite is the Villains After Hours event that joined the line up during Summer 2019. I was able to attend this one in February with other planners from our agency. It was a BLAST! We were able to walk on nearly every attraction, the free popcorn, ice cream & waters were a nice little perk, the special dance party & stage show were so much fun & the Villain Cavalcade was so awesome! All of our villain favorites paraded right in front of us as we snacked on some of the most delicious beignets from Sleepy Hollow in the Liberty Square area of the park. These special treats called “Just Take Three” were dusted with powdered sugar & served with vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream & chocolate ganache. It was villainously delicious!
Maybe your trip is over your Summer Break & you want to cool off? Try the Disney H2O Glow Nights at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon! This event is entering its 3rd season & gives ticketed guests access to the Typhoon Lagoon water park at 6:00pm and the party officially kicks off at 8:00pm and runs until 11:00pm. You’ll find “glow-rious” lighting effects, a dance party, Toy Story themed activities and characters, fun food, an adult-only area with a cocktail bar, and everyone will walk away with a souvenir glow wristband! I can’t think of a better way to beat the Florida summer heat!
With all the options, it’s hard to decide which party will work best for your travel party. Let our knowledgeable Travel Planners advise you & help you make the best decision for everyone involved! Please note, these events are separate ticketed events and not included with normal park admission.
Click Here to request a vacation package quote today, as well as special after hours ticket information! We can’t wait to work with you!
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